Police in Kratie province’s Sambor district are searching for a 26-year-old man in connection with a motorboat accident that resulted in one death.
The accident occurred on the Mekong River in Boeung Char commune on the night of May 2.
Commune police chief Yuos Seiha identified the deceased as Keo Panha, a 30-year-old farmer, and the suspect as Chin Rithy, a resident of Enthak Chey village in the commune.
The suspect and victim were each driving motorboats and fishing on the river when it began raining with strong winds and they drove their boats towards the docks at Enthak Chey island around 8:30pm.
“The motorboats collided because they were driving at high speeds in heavy rain when it was dark out. Panha died at the scene from head injuries while Rithy was uninjured and fled the scene,” Seiha said.
He said that local police were still searching for the suspect and were also trying to resolve the civil aspects of the case by urging the suspect’s parents to compensate the victim’s family.
“We are currently investigating and collecting evidence and we intend to arrest the suspect and send him to court,” he said.
The victim’s older brother, Keo Nal, said on May 17 that a few days after the accident, the suspect had not fled from his home and was even seen roaming the village.
“The police wanted us to compromise and urged us to take four million riel [$1,000] in compensation to close the case. They only told us that my brother died in a boating accident,” he said, adding that this was an injustice to the family of his brother, who left behind two young daughters.
